Saucy Make Ahead Parmesan Chicken Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness or less.
• Place beaten egg in a bowl. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in another bowl. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to coat evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, about 10 minutes more. Let cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Freeze in a 1-gallon resealable bag with smaller bags of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• To serve: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat chicken at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until heated through and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Top chicken with tomato sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, an additional 3 minutes.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, trim off any white tendons at the ends of the tenderloins. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ¼-inch thickness. Season the chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.
• In a large shallow bowl, combine the panko, ¾ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, the oregano, the thyme, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cheese.
• Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead of time.)
• Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking (with store-bought sauce, I find a generous pinch of sugar and fresh basil go a long way). Cover and keep warm.
• Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for easy clean up; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place 5 or 6 tenders in the pan in a single layer and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, adding additional oil only if necessary. You may need to lower the the heat as you go, so that the chicken doesn't brown before it is cooked through.
• Sprinkle the fontina and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano over the center of the chicken tenderloins, leaving the sides bare so that they remain crispy. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The chicken tenders can be breaded and refrigerated up to 8 hours before pan-frying. The chicken is best and crispiest when fried right before baking, but it can also be fried up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated. Reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes, before adding the cheese and proceeding with the recipe.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The breaded chicken tenders can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze the chicken on the baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag or layer in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between the tenders. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.

SAUCY PARMESAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the soup, beer, curry, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally., Place chicken in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Pour soup mixture over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 24-28 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Sprinkle with cheese.

SAUCY MAKE-AHEAD PARMESAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix dressing and cheese; pour over chicken in shallow dish. Turn chicken over to evenly coat both sides of each breast.
• Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate, turning chicken over after 15 min.
• Heat oven to 425ºF. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 20 min. or until done (165ºF).

THE BEST CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut two 12-inch sheets of plastic wrap.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making 4 roughly equal pieces; they should look like large chicken tenders. Place one sheet of plastic on a clean cutting board. Put one chicken piece in the center of the plastic and top with the other sheet of plastic. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken, one piece at a time. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Put the flour in a pie plate and dredge the chicken 1 piece at a time, turning to coat and packing the flour into the crevices. Shake to remove any excess and return to the rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Whisk the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the milk and egg in a medium bowl until combined. Dip the dredged chicken into the milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then pack the seasoned breadcrumbs firmly onto the chicken. Very gently
• shake off any excess and return to the rack. Refrigerate uncovered at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat 1/3 cup of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook until very fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, basil and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes are very tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Smash the tomatoes with a potato masher until almost smooth; it's ok if it's a little chunky. Season with salt.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook until the coating is golden brown, about 1 minute per side; the chicken will not be cooked through. Transfer to the foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer 3 inches apart. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
• Arrange an oven rack directly under the broiler and preheat to high. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Top each cutlet with 2/3 cup of the sauce and spread evenly to coat. Sprinkle each cutlet with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Broil until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and transfer to the remaining sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta. Transfer the spaghetti to a serving dish and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and serve with torn basil.

WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Pound the chicken breasts between double pieces of plastic wrap. Pound using the flat side of a metal meat mallet. Cut each breast in half, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Break the egg into a pie plate. Add the water, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. Place the chicken breasts in the egg mixture to coat.
• On a plate, mix together the Italian seasoned bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and the grated cheeses.
• I like a 50/50 mix of bread crumbs and cheese. Keep this in mind if you adjust the recipe for more people. You may want to adjust the mixture.
• Using one hand, coat both sides of each piece of chicken in the bread crumb mixture.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the breaded chicken breasts.
• Cook until one side is browned. Turn the chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.
• Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Coat the bottom of a baking dish with the prepared tomato sauce. Add the breaded chicken breasts.
• Top each breast with additional sauce and the shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Cover first with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, covered with foil, until bubbly and heated through. Serve with your favorite pasta and a green salad.

CHICKEN PARMESAN IN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Place flour on a shallow plate. Place beaten eggs into a shallow bowl. Combine grated Parmesan cheese, Italian-seasoned panko crumbs, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and place on a second shallow plate.
• Cover a dinner plate or platter with parchment paper.
• Dip each lightly seasoned chicken breast tender in flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dip in beaten egg, and hold the tender over the eggs to allow excess to drip back into the bowl. Place each tender on the panko mixture. With dry fingers, scoop panko mix over the tender, patting the crumbs in. Place on the parchment-covered plate.
• Repeat with remaining chicken tenders, until all tenders are breaded with flour, egg, and panko mix.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until butter is bubbling. Add tenders, 1 at a time, being careful not to crowd the skillet. You may need to cook chicken in 2 batches. Cook until breading is browned and chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 3 to 4 minutes per side, being careful not to burn the breading.
• Turn tenders when the crust is nicely browned and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Adjust heat down a notch or two, if the crust is getting too brown, and add a bit more oil or butter, if the skillet looks dry. Remove cooked chicken to a cooling rack.
• Add garlic to the skillet, and stir until garlic is fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Deglaze skillet with white wine, stirring up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Season Italian herb seasoning blend and red pepper flakes.
• Stir in cream and heat over medium high. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring frequently, and adjust flavor with salt and pepper, if needed. Allow sauce to bubble until desired consistency is achieved, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Return cooked chicken tenders to the skillet and warm in the sauce, about 1 minute.
• Garnish with fresh parsley.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN-PARMESAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Place 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup pasta sauce in separate freezer-weight containers; place in freezer. Mix remaining mozzarella and pasta sauce with all remaining ingredients just until blended; shape into 4 loaves. Place on baking sheet. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.
• Transfer meatloaves to large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 1 month.
• When Ready to Serve
• Heat oven to 375�F. Place (frozen) meatloaves in 9-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 45 min. or until done (165�F).
• Meanwhile, transfer (frozen) mozzarella and pasta sauce to separate microwaveable containers. Microwave on MEDIUM-LOW (30%) 2 to 3 min. or just until thawed.
• Top meatloaves with pasta sauce and mozzarella; bake 3 to 4 min. or until mozzarella is melted.